Yerevan is ready to strengthen the US role in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Moreover, according to the words of the Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia, David Tonoyan, it is clear that Armenia wants it. It is also necessary to consider that the statement by the senior representative of the Defense Ministry of Armenia was made in response to US representative in the Minsk Group (MG) of the OSCE James Warlick's thoughts aloud, who oversees the process of the Karabakh settlement.
At a recent press conference in Yerevan, the US diplomat complained about the prolonged stagnation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, and shared recipes for establishing strong peace in the region. Actually, James Warlick didn’t say anything new. He just offered a slightly interpreted version of the Madrid principles, which have already been suggested and none of the parties of the conflict are against them, but nevertheless, this doesn’t lead to their practical implementation.
In Warlick’s opinion, the main obstacle is the lack of trust between the countries. But it is difficult to make significant progress without mutual trust between the two nations. The US mediator suggests introducing international peacekeepers to the conflict zone, which would guarantee the safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons. The situation on the contact line leads to the introduction of peacekeepers, as frequent provocations and constant violations of the ceasefire have increased, and where not only small arms are used but also light artillery. But Warlick summarized that a full resolution of the conflict is impossible without mutual concessions and compromises.
The last phrase, if it wasn’t dictated by diplomatic considerations was the key, as the root of the contradictions between the conflicting parties is that Baku considers the process of a comprehensive settlement only in light of the return of Nagorno-Karabakh under its jurisdiction. At the same time, Armenia agrees to the return of refugees, and the transfer of the Azerbaijani districts of the so-called security zone, or buffer zone. What does it want in return? Armenia means recognition of the independent status of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, but Baku doesn’t want to hear about it.
First deputy defense minister of Armenia David Tonoyan stated at the Embassy of the Republic in Washington at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian diaspora that "the United States can help to strengthen control over the preservation of the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone." However, as one military official explained, they are speaking about international observers with a mandate in order to investigate violations of the non-resumption of fire, but not an international peacekeeping force. According to the deputy minister’s opinion, the emergence of a group of observers will be effective in preventing violations of the truce.
There are some questions: does that mean that it is a proposal of Armenia in respect of reorienting its military vector? And won’t foreign or US observers' ‘mandate’ in a conflict zone lead to new realities in the region? Yerevan doesn’t see any contradictions. Russia is an ally of Armenia and the countries are in one military bloc. The United States and Armenia cooperate in the military sphere today, without joining any individual unions or multilateral alliances apart from limited participation in peacekeeping operations in various hotspots. According to Yerevan, the alliance with Russia is the major component of Armenia's national security, and cooperation with the United States is one of its essential components. The question of whether Moscow agrees with its ally remains open today.
